Neopsittaconirmus vendulae Sychra

Sychra, Old Ř Ich, 2006, Neopsittaconirmus vendulae, a new species of louse (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) from the Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus (Psittaciformes: Cacatuidae), Zootaxa 1270, pp. 57-68 : 58-60

Neopsittaconirmus vendulae Sychra , new species

( Figs. 1–6 )

Type host: Nymphicus hollandicus (Kerr)

Male ( Fig. 1 ): Preantennal region shorter or as long as postantennal, with preantennal/ postantennal ratio 0.90; anterior margin bordered by narrow hyaline margin. Antenna filiform, with basal segment somewhat enlarged. Guttate processes in preantennal region ( Guimarães 1974: 126) circular. Pronotum with 1 long lateroposterior seta on each side; metanotum with 4 very long and 1 medium long marginal setae on each side. Anterior margin of abdominal tergite II (first apparent tergite) slightly split along midline, III–VII wide concave, and VIII–IX almost straight. Short marginal and short anterior seta on each side of abdominal tergite II; tergites IV–VII with medium long tergo­lateral seta on each side; tergites III–VIII with 1 short and 1 medium long tergo­central setae on each side; IX much narrowed with marginal row of 3 short and 1 very long setae, terminally with 4–5 short setae. Posterior margin of subgenital plate deeply split (in dorsal view, Fig. 2 ). Conspicuous pattern of pigmentation involving lateral and posterior portions of abdominal tergites II–VIII, gular and ventral thoracic plates, temples and guttate processes.

Abdominal sterna II–VII each with 2–4 setae, with lengths as shown ( Fig. 1 ). Male genitalia as in Figs 3, 4 . Basal apodeme relatively narrow and long, parameres short and stout, each with very stout subapical seta and conspicuous circular spot on lateral margin (in ventral view, Fig. 4 ). Mesosomal complex contains from two pairs of sacs or pouches ( Fig. 4 ). Dimensions: TW, 0.25–0.29; HL, 0.37–0.42; P/P, 0.78–0.95; PW, 0.19–0.21; PL, 0.08–0.12; MW, 0.25–0.31; ML, 0.18–0.20; AWV, 0.27–0.34; AL, 0.85–1.00; TL, 1.47–1.69.

Female ( Fig. 5 ). Mostly as for male. Tergo­lateral seta on each side of tergites IV–VII short. Tergites III–VIII with only one short tergo­central setae on each side. Abdominal tergite IX not narrowed, with 2 very long and 1 short setae on each side. Ventral terminalia as in Fig. 6 ; subgenital plate wide, rounded posteriorly, with chaetotaxy as shown. Dimensions: TW, 0.30–0.34; HL, 0.41–0.46; P/P, 0.76–1.00; PW, 0.20–0.23; PL, 0.09–0.14; MW, 0.26–0.36; ML, 0.20–0.24; AWV, 0.33–0.42; AL, 1.03–1.28; TL, 1.74–2.05.

Both sexes of N. vendulae are readily characterized by a unique combination of characters as follows: (1) tergo­lateral setae on each side of tergites IV–VII. This character is identical to those in the species N. circumfasciatus (Piaget) from Polytelis anthopeplus (Lear) , N. difficilis Guimarães from Psittacula alexandri (L.) and N. anodis (Neumann) from Psittrichas fulgidus (Lesson) . Neopsittaconirmus vendulae can be separated from those species by the shape of the male genitalia, female ventral terminalia, the chaetotaxy of male tergite IX and the lack of sexual dimorphism in the shape of antennae; (2) no sexual dimorphism in the shape of antennae; (3) conspicuous pattern of pigmentation involving lateral and posterior portions of abdominal tergites II–VIII, gular and ventral thoracic plates, temples and guttate processes; and (4) row of three short and one very long setae on tergite IX of male. The above four characters distinguish N. vendulae from five species of Neopsittaconirmus described from cockatoos N. borgiolii Conci from Calyptorhynchus funereus (Shaw) , N. clayae Guimarães from Probosciger aterrimus (Gmelin) , N. albus (Le Souëf & Bullen) from Cacatua galerita (Latham) ; N. shanahani Price & Emerson from Cacatua ducorps (Bonaparte) , and N. emersoni Guimarães from Cacatua haematuropygia (Müller) . Conversely, those four characters place N. vendulae close to N. eos (Giebel) from Eolophus roseicapillus (Vieillot) . However, both sexes of N. vendulae may be separated from those of N. eos by a combination of other characters, as follows: (5) unique shape of male genitalia with short and stout parameres, each with a very stout subapical seta; (6) pair of tergo­central setae on each side of tergites III–VIII of male; and (7) female subgenital plate with posterior margin wide, rounded.

Type material: Holotype male ex Nymphicus hollandicus (captive bird), AUSTRALIA, 1966, R.S. Balter coll. Paratypes: two males and one female, with same data as holotype; 6 males and 8 females, ex Nymphicus hollandicus Kerr (captive birds), AUSTRALIA, 1965 R. S. Balter coll.; 2 males and 3 females ex Nymphicus hollandicus Kerr (cage birds), AUSTRALIA, 1971, Geo. Smith coll. All deposited at The Natural History Museum, London ( NHML), B.M. 1969­101 and B. M. 1971­509.

Other material: One female and nymph ex N. hollandicus (captive birds), CZECH REPUBLIC, Vlašim, 17 September 2003, O. Sychra coll. Two males and three females ex N. hollandicus (captive birds), GERMANY, Saxonie, 7 December 2001, R. Schmäschke coll. One male and one female ex Melopsittacus undulatus (captive bird), GERMANY, Saxonie, Rochlitz, 20 July 2000, R. Schmäschke coll. All deposited at the Moravian Museum Brno, Czech Republic.

Etymology: This species is named after my wife Vendula Sychrová.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Neopsittaconirmus vendulae n. sp. 1, male; 2, male dorsal terminalia; 3 – 4, male genitalia, dorsal view (3), ventral view (4); 5, female; 6, female ventral terminalia. (Figures were made from the type specimens held at the NHML—B. M. 1969 ­ 101).